Why Donald Trump's visit was a good thing for Police Scotland

The visit to Scotland by US President Donald Trump was a valuable exercise for Police Scotland.

This is my latest column, published in The Scotsman on 5th August 2025.

Well, well, despite all the scare stories, Donald Trump’s four-day visit went exactly as planned. Contrary to the dire predictions of some, our policing system was not brought to its knees by a long weekend’s work. If our community policing model could just survive the year of extractions caused by the 84/85 Miners Strike, it could surely withstand the extra demands of four days.

It was, however, a tricky operation, with more than two venues and a lot of outside exposure for a president who has recently survived two assassination attempts, and appears to be ‘catnip’ for extremists.

But now that Air Force One is well away and the pointless placards put away ’til next time, we can safely reflect on the fact that the presidential visit has actually benefited our police service. Let me explain.

Police Scotland, whether in its recent national incarceration or its old constituent forces, had a well-deserved reputation for the professional handling of major events. Next to London, Edinburgh had more major and royal events than any other city in the UK.

The west of Scotland was also highly experienced. The continuous exposure to the ritual hate fest which is ‘Old Firm’ football ensures that police in and around Glasgow always knew how to control hostile crowds. But experience has a shelf-life and the preparedness of police forces to deal with complex and major events depends on ‘match fitness’.

The last truly major event in Scotland was the initial phase of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in 2022, and, while it was logistically tricky, there was very little real threat. You have to go back to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow the previous year to find a major event that tested all aspects of police planning and operations.

But that was four years ago, and things change quickly at the top of policing. Almost all the senior officers involved in COP26 have now moved on and been replaced by officers, who though able have not actually been in the hot seat. For you can plan all you like, run exercises all day long, but there is no substitute for the real thing.

Regardless of contingencies, things go wrong as soon as real people become involved. Small mistakes can turn into big problems, and before you know it you are reacting to incidents rather than driving the operation.

In the case of President Trump’s visit, there were good points and bad. It was not a state visit with high-risk public processions in crowded streets. On the other hand, golf links, while remote, are vast open spaces and difficult to protect. Transport routes were also tricky, with lots of minor roads to be protected from disruption.

And the US Secret Service would have been on edge, with the recent assassination attempts and their president’s habit of impromptu ‘off-script’ behaviour adding to the tension. But in the end, it all came good, as I was sure it would. The plan worked, and all the little things that went wrong were sorted quickly and without fuss.

So congratulations to the event ‘Gold Commander’, Assistant Chief Emma Bond, and all her team. Another big job well done, lessons learned and valuable experience banked.